Your letters and photos, including finding UK trail gems, introducing your other half to the joy of MTB and more of your best riding snaps
Staycate the premises
While this year has been a bit of a nightmare, it hasn’t been bad for my mountain biking! In March/ April, I biked pretty much every square inch of my local area (Stirling), finding new trail gems despite having lived here for over 40 years. Once we were allowed to travel, I ventured to Ballater, where I hadn’t been for 20 years, and, armed with your ‘Dirty Weekender’ guide, enjoyed all your recommended routes.
I’ve just returned from five days with friends in Aviemore, Glenlivet and Grantown, which was incredible, followed by eight days in the Yorkshire Moors and the Peak District, again using some of your route guides for inspiration. I’ve been fortunate with the weather, but these trips have reminded me how wonderful UK riding can be and have been a real blessing when so many other activities are restricted.
Ian Robertson, via email
It’s brilliant to hear you’ve been putting our routes to good use, Ian, and exploring the UK by mountain bike. You’re right – we’re incredibly lucky on our little island to have such fantastic riding in so many beautiful places. Thanks for the pic too (below). We hope you can use our recent Trail Centre Guide and regular route maps to find even more great trails to enjoy.
Couples who play together stay together
With many of us having to stay in support bubbles, I recently introduced my girlfriend to mountain biking. It’s a great way to get exercise and she’s thoroughly enjoying getting out in the wilderness, the beautiful views on our rides over the moors and building up her skills on a few of the local trails. Nothing too scary yet, though!
It’s been a surprisingly enjoyable experience for us both so far – her building up confidence and me showing her the basics have both been fun. Taking a bit longer or going a bit slower has proven to be no real hardship at all. She’s probably quicker on her 650b-wheeled, modern-geometry (although not too fancy), discbraked hardtail than I was in my youth on my rigid, rim-braked Alpinestars Al-Mega back when I first cut my teeth. I’d recommend it to anyone if their other half, or any family member for that matter, shows an interest.
My only question is – do you have any tips for teaching a loved one to ride? She hasn’t tried to strangle me with an inner tube yet, and I’d like to keep it that way! Barry Pursey, via email
It can be extremely rewarding to take family and partners riding, and a great bonding experience. Our advice is to be as encouraging and supportive as you can, and if they ever become stuck at a section of trail, never ever say, “Just do it, it’s easy! Copy me!” Remember – there are no bad students, only bad teachers. And it doesn’t matter whether they’re on a basic hardtail or a 10-grand superbike – learning the correct body position to maintain balance and control is always the first step. Everything else will follow – including lots of fun and some great memories.